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Class Notes - 1990s

August 06, 2008

1990

Rob Bovett J.D. ran for the position of Lincoln County district attorney. He has worked as Lincoln County’s assistant county counsel since 1992. Bovett has also served as legal counsel for the Lincoln Interagency Narcotics Team and for the Oregon Narcotics Enforcement Association.

1991

Aaron Baar B.A. has been named vice president of media for Gigi’s Playhouse Chicago, a nonprofit center for children with Down syndrome and their families.

1992

Dorothy Cofield J.D. has been elected to the board of directors of the Oregon Ballet Theatre and also serves on the development committee. She is the principal and owner of Cofield Law Office, specializing in land use law in matters such as takings, Measure 37, and urban and rural development appeals.

Mitchell Elrod B.A. entered the insurance business in 1992 and is now vice president of sales for a division of Hilb, Rogal & Hobbs. When he married Yvette Rose in 2002 in Lake Tahoe, classmates David Watts B.S. and Christina Watts B.A. attended. Elrod, his wife, and their daughter, Raynee, live in Amboy, Washington.

Ruthe Farmer B.A. is attending the University of Oxford Saïd Business School’s one-year M.B.A. program, specializing in social entrepreneurship. Specifically, she is working in the area of gender equity in technology and engineering. She serves on the boards of the Learning Innovation & Technology Consortium and the National Girls Collaborative Project Champions. Her Oxford blog can be found at Ruthe Goes to Oxford.

Victor Hoffer J.D. has received the statewide Community Service Award from the Oregon Department of Human Services, Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems. Hoffer, a member of the Oregon Attorney General’s Office Elder Abuse Task Force, teaches throughout the state on the recognition and prevention of elder abuse. He is a senior paramedic and also practices law in Mount Angel.

John Kaempf J.D. has been appointed to the board of directors of Catholic Charities. Kaempf is a trial lawyer whose specialties include defending churches and other religious entities in lawsuits, including abuse claims. Since 2006, he has also served on the executive board of directors for the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO/Camp Howard). Kaempf is a shareholder with Bullivant Houser Bailey in its Portland office.

Marybeth Stewart Ley B.S. and her husband were living in London when their daughter, Zephyr, arrived six and a half weeks early via emergency Caesarean section (see Births). Zephyr was very healthy, and when she was five months old, the family moved back home to California. Ley, retired from her career as a technical writer, plans to continue as an at-home mom and wife. Her husband, Paul, is an auto parts dealer.

Walter Lukken J.D. has been nominated by President George W. Bush to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Currently, Lukken serves as commissioner and acting chair of the commission. He previously was a professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

1993

Arts & Sciences 15th Reunion Oct. 2-5, 2008

Law School 15th Reunion Oct. 24-26, 2008

James Mapp J.D. has been appointed presiding judge of the El Mirage (Arizona) City Court. Before taking the bench, he was assistant attorney general for the city of El Mirage.

John Riutta B.A., after working in marketing and new product development at Leupold for 10 years, is self-employed as a freelance writer. He is also finishing up the Oregon Executive M.B.A. program. Recreationally, he is an avid bird watcher, reflections upon which can be found on his website at Born Again Bird Watcher.

David Rorden J.D. has been elected vice president of the Washington state chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. NAELA deals with the legal needs of the elderly, including long-term care, estate planning, and health care decision-making. Rorden has been a member of the group’s board of directors since January 2006.

1994

Marcela Pena B.S. has earned a second B.S. degree, this time in architecture, from Portland State University. Her website has turned a new leaf … check it out at American Sustainability.

1995

Maya Adams-Smith B.A. received her M.F.A. degree from Clemson University in December 2007. Her thesis exhibition of porcelain sculpture, entitled “Hooked,” was on display in Clemson’s Lee Art Gallery in November.

William Fig J.D. has become a partner at the Portland law firm Sussman Shank. His practice focuses on business litigation, construction law, environmental litigation, and consumer debtor/creditor matters. Fig holds a specialty certificate in environmental law with a focus on hazardous wastes.

Lisa Johnson-Porter J.D. has joined the Lake Oswego firm Carr Schwartz Butterfield as an associate attorney. Her work includes matters related to real property transactions and construction, and also commercial litigation with an emphasis in employment law, personal injury, and insurance defense.

Mara McClelland B.A. is an interior designer living and working in New York City.

1996

Marina Hadjioannou B.S. and husband Chris Waters (see also Marriages) live in Indianapolis and run a translation and interpretation company together, Indianapolis Interpreters.

Michelle Kerin J.D. has been elected to the board of trustees for the International School, a Portland school dedicated to providing children with a comprehensive education through fluency in more than one language. Kerin is a shareholder with the Portland law firm of Farleigh Witt.

Jacob Seljan B.S. is vice president of risk analytics at U.S. Bancorp and his wife, Hilary Crook, is an attorney at Thomson West Publishing.

Monica Vilhauer B.A. has accepted a tenure-track position in philosophy at Roanoke College in Roanoke, Virginia, to begin this fall.

1997

Sheri Browning J.D. has joined the Portland firm Lindsay, Hart, Neil & Weigler as of counsel. She specializes in medical and legal malpractice.

Willard Chi J.D. was featured in the Oregonian’s online article “Coffee Break” on September 25, 2007. He is a partner and one of the founding members of the Lake Oswego firm Marandas Chi Okamura and is the chair-elect of the Oregon State Bar’s New Lawyers Division.

Darren Drabek B.A. last year left his position as a high school guidance counselor to return to work at Skidmore College, where he is an academic counselor and international student coordinator. He works with a growing international student population at Skidmore, which, like Lewis & Clark, has been tapped by the Davis Foundation to enroll more graduates of the worldwide network of United World Colleges. He traveled to Swaziland in October 2007 to interview prospective applicants at the United World College of Southern Africa. Though he doesn’t travel as much as in years past, he says, the passport stays close at hand. He invites anyone visiting Saratoga Springs for the summer horse racing, NYC Ballet, or Philadelphia Orchestra to drop him a note. (See also Births.)

Samuel Jordan B.A. has spent the last few years getting used to life in northern New Jersey, where he finds unexpected treasures: a depth of history, natural areas that thrive despite the urban buildup, and people from all walks of life who challenge and broaden his worldview. Of his job monitoring special education programs in some of the nation’s most challenged school districts for the New Jersey Department of Education, he says, “It has certainly opened my eyes wide to the disparities that continue to exist in our public education system.” On the personal side, “My wife and I find this area to be like a continual tour–there is so much to see, whether it is in New York or New Jersey, that one could spend every weekend exploring. I can’t say I miss the pace of the Northwest, but this place is certainly engaging!”

Jason Ludeman B.S. completed his M.B.A. at the University of Montana in May 2007. Highlights included serving as president of the Graduate Business Student Association, and being chosen Outstanding M.B.A. Student by the faculty.

Karla Raettig J.D. has joined the National Wildlife Federation as a legislative representative. Raettig previously worked for the Environmental Integrity Project.

Ian Richardson J.D. has returned as a partner to the Eugene firm Gleaves Swearingen Potter Scott. Richardson practices in the areas of business law, estate planning, and nonprofit organizations.

Edward Riffle J.D. is deputy chief of the contract and fiscal law department for the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate at the Multinational Security Transition Command–Iraq, in Baghdad. Upon release from active duty, Riffle will return to his practice as litigation attorney for the firm of Bullard, Brown & Beal in Fullerton, California.

Ben Wood J.D. joined Planned Parenthood of Columbia/Willamette in November 2007 as vice president of external affairs. He previously worked for Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare as vice president of business development and communications.

1998

Arts & Sciences 10th Reunion Oct. 2-5, 2008

Law School 10th Reunion Oct. 24-26, 2008

Noel Aquino B.A. can’t believe it’s been 10 years since she graduated! She has been working on her master’s in education and her teaching credential at the University of Phoenix, though “I’d much rather be earning it at LC. I like teaching the little ones. Till then, I am substitute teaching.” She lives in West Covina, California.

Richard Bailey J.D. has joined Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt as senior counsel in their Portland office. He made the move from Davis Wright Tremaine, where he was of counsel. Bailey also worked as general counsel and vice president of operations at Hestia Community Development, a Michigan-based residential developer and building company. At Schwabe, Bailey is involved in the firm’s real estate practice group, specializing in advising on real estate development and finance transactions.

Bonnie Crawford B.A. finished the Ironman Triathlon in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in June 2007–a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a marathon (26.2-mile run), all of which had to be completed in less than 17 hours. She was honored at the race as the “Biggest Loser,” having lost more than 170 pounds before the event. She believes she’s the first woman to win this honor. When not training, she works as a project manager in downtown Portland and loves playing board games, traveling with husband Preston Crawford B.A. ‘97, and hanging out with their four cats.

Kevin Finkle B.A. and Kathleen Finkle B.A. ‘00, married since 2005, have bought a home in southeast Portland. They perform locally with White Rhino Marimba, and Kevin also performs with Fools in Paradise. If you’re in town, stop by and say hi.

Molly McAllister B.A. is working as a veterinarian at a small-animal clinic in Lake Oswego and doing wildlife rehab work and environmental education with the Portland Audubon Society. Her two dogs love their home in Sellwood and she is happy to be back in Portland.

Rosanne Scott B.A. has been working in the mental health field ever since graduation. She’s been living in Portland and bought a mid-century modern home five years ago. Last summer she and her boyfriend got married after eight and a half years of dating. Scott has fond memories of her 1996 overseas trip to Scotland and can’t believe it’s been almost a decade since graduation!

1999

Coby Dolan J.D. has joined the Washington, D.C., staff of Debra Wasserman Schultz, U.S. Representative from Florida, as senior policy advisor. Dolan previously worked for the Ocean Conservancy as a staff attorney.

Rebecca Moran B.A. is on call 24 hours a day as a volunteer pilot for the Flying Medical Service, based in Arusha, Tanzania. She makes both routine and emergency flights, ferrying medical personnel and clinics to outlying areas and taking patients in emergency situations to hospitals when needed.

Zeenie Scholz B.A. is director of marketing at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Stop by and visit her if you are passing through town.